This particular blog it the first in the series of blogs under ‘My Small Little Business’, there will be more to follow so stay tuned!

I’ve always wanted to write about this topic because as I was purchasing through the posh world I came across some awful and even some exciting packages through the mail. This is just a basic guide on how to package your products! This is definitely NOT the rule but hopefully after you read this you can set your own standards to how you want to package your products.

Before I get into the nitty gritty of packaging I just want to set you up with just a basic understanding of what your packaging means. This is the absolute closest that people get to getting a tactile first impression of you. Yes we’ve seen the cover shots, and we see the comments and detail in your listing, but as far as first personal impressions, this is as good as it gets. You may not think that your packaging has an impact on how people perceive you, but it really does. I once ordered a purse (an expensive purse) through Poshmark and when I received it, it was in an envelope no tissue, no note, and no dust bag. My first reaction was…wtf?! Not only did I dish out some big bucks, but the person didn’t even have the decency to make sure that through shipping, the item stays in the same condition as how I saw in in the picture. Not only did I NOT want to shop at her closet again, I felt a bit cheated. Now there is a small standard when it comes to sending out your packages, it’s definitely not required, but it’s been standardized through practice, which is a ‘Thank You’ card. Now I don’t feel like you should dish out $2.99 on each thank you card, but a simple note could be that added extra touch that makes your buyer feel that much more inclined to shop or even better, refer you to other people. Anyway we will get more into that later.

So- Packaging really sets your buyers up for what they are to expect from you on future shopping occasions and it really helps you in your branding of yourself. Just like how this series is titled ‘My Small Little Business’ you are really setting yourself and your closet as your little business brand. You need to make a stellar first impression with your packaging, you’ve got to beat all the other girls’ closets on Poshmark as well as the other businesses for people to come back to you. So how do you do that?

Well, how do you want to get a package? That’s the first question that you should ask yourself. In my first example, I know I did not want to get my high end expensive purse in that manner. So I thought about if I were to send a really expensive purse through the mail, how would I do it? How would I want to feel when I open up that box? I want to feel like how Carrie Bradshaw got the Vivianne Westwood wedding gown in Sex in the City! That was a magical moment. I mean, I was so excited to get my item (as everyone is), that when I actually got it, my excitement was all gone. So when you’re packaging up your items its best to keep your buyer in mind and that expectations don’t fall flat before they get to the actual item itself. Now that you know that, lets start packin’! This is how I package my items – now this is just a basic view, typically if I go to a Posh event (meet up/ poshfest/ spring fling) and Poshmark hands out some goodies, I tend to pass them along to my buyers. First I start with my supplies:

Right here I’ve got some tissue paper, clear scotch tape, and packing tape. I use the scotch tape to hold down some of the tissue paper when wrapping, because I like a clean looking wrapped item. If you don’t then to each’s own!

I always like to add a thank you card, and if I am selling quite a few items it’s difficult to handwrite every single card. So I like to have ones that I can add a small personalization to it but also get some information across as well. I printed the notes on to label paper and then just cut and stuck them to the actual thank you card, for me it saves time. If you are a person who likes to handwrite each one to give that more personalization to it, by all means, GO FOT IT. I personally choose to do it this way, but it’s all about how you want to come across to your audience. The packaging that I saw on this BCBG dress that I purchased came with a card that said to tweet or Instagram your purchase with a hashtag and to tag them and I thought it was cool, so I set up accounts for my blog so my buyers can do just that! Btw, I LOVE fashion quotes, so I add them to the envelope that I printed on a label. Before I printed on the actual envelope something along the lines of “To One Gorgeous Looking Girl” which I really liked, but the envelopes don’t absorb the ink too well so it wasn’t an option for the moment but it will be in the future! Also I add my business card too. If you’ve ever seen my closet on Poshmark you’ll notice that everything is in chevron. I liked it so much that I kind of ran with it, and added it to my business card (which I got for free for attending Poshfest 2013). I got them from moo.com which is really cool that they are bite sized and they are made from a harder paper than regular business cards. You can customize it however you want but I added some vital information in the event that a buyer needs to get ahold of me or even just to see that I have a freakin cool business card! You never know when they need to get ahold of you or just want to share what it looks like to other people. However you want to get people to notice you and your closet, I would totally do it!

I got these also from moo.com and these are awesome stickers you can create from any image. I’ll be using these in a bit, but I got the idea for using these during Poshfest when people were talking about how they package their stuff. Since my theme is chevrons, I stuck with the chevron stickers. HOT PRO TIP: Some Poshers I know look for small businesses who need more marketing, and will ask a small fee for shipping supplies, in exchange they add some of the companies marketing materials into the package. If you can do it, then more power to you. I personally don’t have the time with all the other stuff on my plate, but that is definitely an option for any of you!

First I start with the garment.

Wrap it nicely.

Add my stickers to add to the theme of my closet, my own personal touch.

Add my note, and add the other garments in this bundle.

Seal the box, and use the packaging tape to seal the label on and seal the box shut. I do like to recycle boxes that other companies send to me, and not just use use the free ones that I order through usps.com. But I primarily do use the USPS boxes, but for this example I just used a recycled one. So that’s pretty much it, feel free to add your own comments and feel free to tag me in some of your own ways of how you send out your items, I love get inspired! Before I show you some really great creative ways to send your packaging, here is a few pointers that I got about shipping and packaging: POINTERS

When shipping out your garments make sure to be conscientious of the weight restriction. Poshmark allows up to 5 lbs, but if your bundle is 5 pairs of jeans plus a pair of boots, I would think twice about giving that stellar discount! Make sure to add on the additional amount for shipping on the listing price (minus PM 20%) so you don’t get stuck paying for the additional weight for shipping. If the weight would over exceed what it is on the label one of 2 things may happen: 1) They send it back or 2) They hold your package at the post office and you have to retrieve it, then pay the additional to send it out, or pay Poshmark to get a new label with the correct weight amount, print it, then re-stick it back on your package. Big task, not cost effective.

Do NOT, I repeat do NOT wrap your packages in wrapping paper. Now you can wrap them in wrapping paper and then put it in another box and send it off, but wrapping paper, twine, tags, etc. rip off immediately during processing. And if your precious label is on that wrapping paper, those conveyor belts will rip it right off and now your package is lost! So wrap it up cute, but make sure it’s secure inside of another box that can take the destruction of those high powered conveyor belts!

If you have Adobe pdf (not the reader the actual program) installed in your computer, there is a way to print 2 labels on one sheet. If you are trying to be cost effective, then printing one label per page, isn’t going to help your cause, so if there is a way for you to save a little bit of cost then do it! You can also do it on Microsoft Word if you have it, and add little Poshmark logo’s on the label, or if you have a blog then you can add it there too! For me, that’s in the works right now.

Remember: People love free stuff, so if you got extra samples that you got from Sephora or you have some Poshfest left overs that you can share, then do it! It just adds an extra touch and keeps your buyers excited!

Remember: There are ways to be cost effective and still have that same effect on your buyer, so stop by the Dollar Tree for supplies! You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg for packaging tape or sparkle! Get some basket crinkle and add it inside your package before you add in that necklace/ earrings box.

Remember: Adding a thank you note has been standardized by practice, so if you don’t send one it’s not against the Posh law, but it is an expectation that people have become accustomed to. Use it to add special information, like your Instagram handle so people can follow you! Or start a hashtag trend!

Need some extra cash for shipping supplies? Ask a local boutique or a start up clothing company that is looking for some additional advertising. Slip in their marketing material in your packages for a small fee and voila! You got some extra spending cash for tissue paper!

If the item is of high quality, or sensitive to immense movement (i.e, leather, beaded detailing, fabric that can easily be scuffed) then make sure you wrap in a dust bag, if you have one, or tissue paper, or any material that can keep it from being damaged whilst traveling cross country.

Use the USPS app to set up pick up times for your packages. It’s really useful if you promise to send out packages a certain day of the week to your buyers or if you run a tight schedule. I never recommend just leaving your packages on your doorstep because no one is above theft, but you can leave in a hidden area that you can indicate through the app where the mail carrier can find it and retrieve the packages while you are away!

Getting USPS packing supplies is free but don’t get boxes through the app. Get them online at USPS.com and under the tab SHIP A PACKAGE select ‘SHIPPING SUPPLIES’. On the Left select PRIORITY MAIL and choose the shipping supplies you want for free! They even ship right to your door. Just make sure they aren’t they ones that say FLAT RATE on them (FYI if you order boxes through the app, the only ones that you can select are the flat rate ones, so do it online to get the correct boxes). Otherwise if your use the flat rate boxes, you’re paling another gamble with the Post Office!

As promised, here are a few examples of some stellar packaging:

If you have more pointers, then please share in the comments below! Thanks so much for reading I hope this helps and feel free to tag any newbies that are in need of some guidance or some people just looking for more information! I’d love to hear your stories and if you have some stellar packaging you’d like to show off go ahead and tag us on Instagram @healthygirlfashion and Twitter @healthygirlUS and we will retweet! Stay fashionable, stay healthy. -E

Ediza has been a Poshmark user since 2013 and is a fashion enthusiast with a insatiable hunger for designer bags. She has completed numerous trips around the world using points and miles as her choice of currency and chronicles those adventures here at HealthyGirlFashion.

Hi HealthyGirl! 😊 Thanks for the great info & ideas on shipping out packages… I get very excited when I make a sale and then immediately choose the box I’m going to use & then depending on what the item is, I’ll use the appropriate wrapping paper, twine, ribbons, bubble wrap in some cases, etc. to make a really nice presentation to my buyer. I find that handwriting a personal note on a thank you card works best for me 🙂 but I do also love your idea of including cute little sayings related to shopping! As you mentioned, we want to create a degree of personalization when connecting with our fellow Poshers. I used to own a retail store selling one of a kind home furnishings, accessories & lighting so the retail world is my stage, lol! I missed the face to face interaction with my clients and so sending a Thank You card with a nice note (sometimes a long note, lol ) is a no brainer. It just conveys to the buyer that I cared enough to make them feel special. I’ll then receive a reply back from them telling me how they loved what they purchased and will definitely be purchasing from me again which has already happened😊👍. You’re a very good blogger and keep up the good work as I know all too well how much time goes into doing this when you’ve got a million other things yo do too! Thank You!
Kindly,
Dorothy

@dorothy Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate your comments!! I’d love to see some of the ways that you package your stuff! If you use instagram please tag me @healthygirlfashion or on twitter @healthygirlUS!!

Hi Ediza, First let me again thank you for always sharing my closet. I so appreciate it. I have been on Posh Mark for just a bit over 3 months now & I really do enjoy it. For every sale that I have made I always include a thank you note & wrap the item up nicely in tissue & a nice ribbon I also take great care in picking out appropriate box, bubble wrap etc.. for said item. I do tend to use the envelopes for the simple fact that when my husband is at work & can not ship for me I can ship myself & use the drop box provided at the PO therefeore itnis not necessary to take my twins out of the car so basically I use them for ease & convenience.
I was in the advertising world for many years ( before my angels) therefore I agree with the ‘branding’ you are trying to accomplish. I too, am establishing my brand by only using my logo or pertinent aspects from it that are easily recognizable for any & all advertising I use within my closet i.e. sales, feedback, comments and the like.
I have ordered from several closets & do you know, I have not had item one wrapped in tissue, no ribbon, & one small thank you note that said simply thank you. I must say it was a bit disheartening although I know it is not a MUST, but it sure would be nice to see something I purchased come in nicely wrapped & a thank you note included. As my mom would say “Aixi e’s la Vida”
Thank you for writing this lovely blog, I will now follow you. May I ask you one more question? Do you garner many sales from using instagram? Is is easy to use & set up? How do you get followers? Okay, I knowi said one question but please indulge me. Thank you much-Nina

Instagram is a wonderful tool to get your followers an insight into your life, business, or even some special news you have to share. It’s more for pictures rather than selling. I just use poshamark for selling and use my Instagram primarily to promote my blog. Hope that helps! Also, to get followers is the same way you get followers through Facebook or twitter! Good luck!

In reference to your tip about printing out the postage label….I had a 30 day trial of Adobe recently & must say it was incredibly convenient to use the 2 labels/sheet then just printed & done;) My wish is that the 3rd party co. PM uses would just change the PDF we receive & already be correctly positioned (ie: just like when use the USPS click n ship), however in the meantime would you please explain the 2nd option you mentioned? Is there a picture I could see? Thanks so much & looking forward to reading more of your posts–Really enjoy;)

It’s a bit difficult to go through the entire process of putting 2 shipping labels on to 1 sheet because you would have to have adobe pro (which you have to purchase) in order for that to work. It’s pretty much a crop/cut/paste action you’d be doing, but I’ve used it on Microsoft word as well and it turns out quite nicely. Hope that helps!

I use both actually! I tend to use more of the packaging slips that have no padding when shipping shirts and dresses. But if it does require that I keep the integrity intact I would use a padded envelope or box with lots of stuffing!

Hey so quick question, if I’m shipping an item that’s 11lbs and poshmark shipping labels only go up to 10lbs, can I just print out the 10lb label and then pay for the additional 1 lb at the post office? Thanks!

Actually through the App or online you can click on the order and through the ‘Problems& support’ dropdown you can select a higher weight. PAY THROUGH POSHMARK and don’t pay at the post office, I did that once and they were going to charge me $50 to go over 1lb! Poshmark has a deal with the USPS to ship for a lower shipping rate, so just make sure you go through Poshmark for your shipping!

Seriously, $50?! That’s ridiculous! I tried that and it only goes up to 10lbs and my package is 11lbs. I messaged poshmark so fingers crossed they get back to me!

I have another question. For the drop down menu, they give you 5lb outright so since my package is 11lb does that mean I need an 11lb label, or would I choose a 6lb label from the drop down menu to add to my 5lbs I already have?

Sorry it’s so confusing, I’ve sold so many items on this app but I’ve never had a package over 10lbs before😢

I have a question! So, I sold a few things from my closet through out the day (Friday) and I have yet to receive any emails from posh regarding my shipping labels and it is the next day already (Saturday). I do get emails from them regarding a rating or notifications of offers and I added them in my address book so they do not appear in my spam folder. I just sold something in my closet today and no surprise, I did not receive a shipping label. I requested multiple times on the app to resend me my shipping labels and used a different email address to see if there was anything wrong with the current one I associated with pm but I still had the same result. I also emailed support but no reply back. I’m at a loss on what to do, as I always ship out my orders the next day. I already messaged my buyers regarding this issue, but I’m just frustrated because this has never happened to me before. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Thanks for the comment. But sadly, it’s been almost two weeks and there is no resolution. I have to go back and forth with support and beg them to ship out my shipping labels. There is practically no solution. It’s quite frustrating. ):

Hello-I have a question about shipping. I have sold a pair of boots and am having a hard time finding a Priority box that will fit them. They are under 5 lbs but the plain box I am using is pretty large. When I went to the post office I was told the postage was not enough because the box was too large. In fact it would cost more to ship the boots than what I sold them for. Have you ran into this? It seems Poshmark shipping only talks about weight. Does the box size not apply when shipping with the Poshlmark label?

Hi Carolina thank you so much for your question! I have run into this situation before, and because some of the USPS customer representatives don’t know the relationship that Poshmark has with the USPS they won’t make this easy for you. My suggestion to you is to go online and find a USPS priority mail box that specifically for shoes, because they have one and have them shipped to your house (for free). Those should fit the boots because I have sent a pair of boots in that box and it works perfectly. In the meantime, I would suggest that you find a regular box that will fit the boots that you have currently and put the label on them provided by Poshmark and send them out. If there’s any trouble with the package it will either send it back to you or they will send it to Poshmark. But I’ve had some rather large boxes go through with boots in addition to clothes for a bundle and I’ve had no problems! If you’re worried about it going over 5 pounds then I would suggest going and adjusting the label weight so that you are able to send it out no problem! I hope this helps!

Hello! I have a question about using priority boxes…I have a bunch of the padded envelopes but they are priority mail flat rate. Why can’t I use flat rate? I don’t really know what the difference is between them and have been searching everywhere for an answer. If you could help me understand that would be great! 🙂 Thank you.

You can, but there may be faced with issues when you ship. The rate that Poshmark has with the USPS is only within the PRIORITY MAIL boxes. So to be safe just use the regulated boxes that they specify, which is just the PRIORITY MAIL and not the FLAT RATE.

I think on the website it’s a bit tricky. They mix the Priority Mail boxes with their Flat Rate shipping boxes and people tend to get them mixed up. But you’re right! It’s free!! Once you order them 1 time it’s super easy after that!

Hello, thank you for your blog, it has so much helpful info!! I was wondering if I used a plain padded envelope would that be ok? It does not say priority mail on it, it is just a plain padded one from the store. Thank you!! Also, how do you attach your label onto the package, just tape or glue? Sorry if that is a weird question…lol!

Hi! I purchased a big bundle on poshmark for the first time, and one of the items came super quick, but it’s the only one so far. I only received one tracking number, and this sole number I have for this whole order is marked as delivered. I’m disappointed that I wasn’t notified that the order would be split up, and that I wasn’t provided all the tracking numbers. What’s your experience on sending multiple boxes for a single order? Thanks for your help!

Hi! I have a question similar to one earlier. I’m from a very small town where everyone knows everyone. And is nosy about it!! Lol! Here my quandary. I’ve been on posh now for 4 years & when I first started selling things the shipping labels were good for 10 days (according to poshmark). So if I sold an item at 11:55 pm I could still use that label generated that night to ship the next day. Nope. My PO had a fit! They were rude & unprofessional & & even contacted posh themselves. Upon which posh told them the “rules”. Well my PO said they wouldn’t allow it. So for 4 years I’ve had to continually re-print labels!! Now, the boxes & envelopes provided at our PO say both Priority Mail & Flat Rate. So they refuse to allow me to ship in their packaging!! Unless of course I want to pay the flat rate difference!! It’s insanity!! What do you suggest I do?? The next closest PO is 30 miles away!! Thanks for all your insight!!
Heather
PS: I love your blog!! I love taking time to make my packed so cute & personal!!💟

There should be packaging that you can order through USPS.com that only says Priority Mail. Also use the app to have them pick it up, that way they don’t throw a fit when you’re there, that way the label is fresh from when you printed it!

Hi! I had one more issue to ask about. I’m so sorry to be bothersome!! Earlier someone was talking about the heavier weight labels. It used to be I believe $1.99 for 5 lbs (when shipping labels were 3 lbs. now however it’s jumped so drastically that after this last bundle I sent out I’m not going to be able to offer my fellow Poshers the great discounts they’ve always counted on me to give for the larger bundles!! I knew it was over 5lbs & when I went to purchase the heavier label thru posh it was $7.98 extra for a 7lb pkg!!! So not only did I give a large discount & then posh took their 20% but then I was another $8 into it!! So basically 2 of the items were free & The 2 pairs of denim were discounted! I simply can’t do that anymore & before I had realized it I had sold another large bundle of 5 items at a larger discount!! Even for 1 extra lb it’s $3.99!! Any idea as to why posh has jumped that up so high?? I just hate that I’m going to have to scimp on the bundle discounts!! Any suggestions??? Thanks again!
Heather

Talk about it! I would tell my buyers even before they purchased that I couldn’t give them the discount because of the shipping. Don’t do that to yourself, save the trouble and say no next time you give discounts. Don’t let it get out of control, it’s your stuff and don’t be afraid to draw the line. Making the sale is never that important if you’re going to pay someone to take your stuff, cuz they’ll take advantage of you if they can.

Hi! I always ship at the post office but I am out of town and had my mom send a package out for me, but she dropped it at UPS instead. The employee took it and said no problem. But I haven’t received an email yet that it shipped and am very worried now my buyers will worry and ruin my reputation. Should I be worried about the UPS drop off

I sell and buy at pretty much an equal rate, and I gotta say, I find it seriously uncouth when sellers mention giving them a 5-star rating in their thank you notes. It’s not the place to do it. You are thanking them for a purchase, not supposed to be asking for favors. If you do things right as a seller, you don’t have to beg for a good rating. I try my best to make the thank you note as personalized as possible, but never ask for anything in return, and I’ve never received a bad rating. I’m sure others have different opinions, but with the favors for ratings, the social media advertisements, and the fact that it wasn’t hand-written (I know you said you don’t have time, but it’s literally a 30-second situation), I find your thank you’s to be fairly tacky.

Hi I just came across your blog post and I found it extremely informative and well written. I had a question to ask. You mentioned something about asking a local boutique or startup company to use their marketing material for a small fee. How would you go about doing that ? And how much is charged ?

The article was great. I am a single mom of a 2 and 4 year old with no financial or emotional support. Poshing not only has made me extra money, help me revamp my wardrobe and play around with clothing (which I’m obsessed with), but it is also like a hobby for me that I have besides working in the medical field and being a mom. I am looking to get rid of and am in the process of getting rid of a lot of clothing I have held onto for years, women’s, men’s, baby, and children’s (I have a ton). I want to push all this stuff out cheap but make money at the same time and then start my boutique/thrift stuff and actually making a brand and name for myself. I love making packages personalized and this article was pretty informative. And if I could make a suggestion to commenters lol these shipping questions and box questions are pretty dumb and could easily be googled And for more creative ideas go to Pinterest!! I just would like to personally work with you to make my closet better. Maybe a PFF to share items with almost daily just for some advice to get going and moving to a bigger better closet with beautiful items and one say hopefully have an in store boutique one day!! How can I easily access your page/closet? Can you link it? I have some questions about starting an instagram and twitter account for Poshmark social media exposure.